Nottingham cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason is rubbing shoulders with the likes of pop megastars Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran in the UK Top 20 after his debut album entered the chart at No. 18 today (February 2) .

Inspiration also topped the classical chart and is the biggest-selling debut album of 2018 so far.

The 18-year-old from Mapperley said: "As a classical cellist, I can’t quite believe I’ve made the Top 20 in the pop charts with my first ever album.

"It has been an amazing experience and I’m very grateful to everyone who’s supported me. I hope the pieces on this album inspire others the way they’ve inspired me.”

Sheku's debut album, Inspiration, is a chart success

The album features his interpretations of pieces by Shostakovich to Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry.

The BBC Young Musician winner is the youngest cellist ever to reach the Top 20 and the youngest classical artist to break into the Official UK Albums Chart in almost a decade, following Britain’s Got Talent star Faryl Smith's debut in March 2009.

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The album was recorded in Birmingham and Nottingham with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO).

Sheku plays at Trinity School (Image: Shawn Ryan)

The success of Sheku's album follows a series of chart hits for Nottingham artists over the past six years, going back to Jake Bugg's self-titled debut in 2012 when he was also 18. The album reached No. 1. He's since released Shangri-La (No. 3), One My One (No. 4) and last year's Hearts That Strain (No. 7).

Sleaford Mods returned to the Top 20 last year with English Tapas (No. 12), the follow-up to 2015's Key Markets (No. 11).

In 2015, Indiana's No Romeo (No. 17) and Saint Raymond's Young Blood (No. 8) added to Nottingham's most successful year in music.

The only other classical artist from Notts to reach the Top 20 is soprano Lucy Kay in 2014 with her debut Fantasia (No. 18), which followed her runner-up position on ITV's Britain's Got Talent.

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